Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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The image shows a professor in a lab coat and glasses, using a tip-sensitive digital thermometer to measure the temperature at the center of a container of vegetarian chili. The chili is on a refrigerator shelf in a home kitchen, with the fridge open, revealing various food items.

732. Don's Slow Cooling Veggie Chili

February 12, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of slow cooling vegetarian chili.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • FSIS Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B) December, 2021
  • Cooling Uncovered Foods at a Depth of โˆผ5.1 cm (2 in.) or Less Poses Little Risk of Pathogen Growth - ScienceDirect
  • FDA Food Code | FDA
  • Cooling Rates of Chili Using Refrigerator, Blast Chiller, and Chill Stick Cooling Methods


February 12, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Cooling, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus

Here's the revised image, with the hamburger a bit hard to see, as if it's under a seat in the car.

589. Hamburger Left in Car for Three Days

March 15, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating a smelly hamburger left in car for three days.

Dr. Don - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ
Professor Ben - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ

  • All-American Cheeseburger - Nearby For Delivery or Pick Up | Buffalo Wild Wings
  • McDonald's Burger Survives 20 Years and Still Looks Fresh off the Grill - Interesting Engineering
  • Control of Clostridium perfringens in Cooked Ground Beef by Carvacrol, Cinnamaldehyde, Thymol, or Oregano Oil during Chilling - ScienceDirect
March 15, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Beef, Hamburger, Clostridium perfringens

382. Don's Condolences Chili

November 18, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by a pot full of warm chili delivered by well-meaning family friends when no one was home.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Obituary for Willliam Robert Schaffner | Ness-Sibley Funeral Home
  • Growth of Clostridium perfringens in cooked chili during cooling | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Thermal Inactivation of Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin in Buffer and in Chicken Gravy - 1982 - Journal of Food Science - Wiley Online Library
November 18, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Clostridium perfringens, Cooling, Temperature control

379. Jeff's 12 Hour Delayed Start Short Ribs

November 11, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of cooking short ribs after a 12 hour delay at room temperature.

Dr. Don - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ
Professor Ben - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ

  • Instant Pot Short Ribs (Pressure Cooker) | Tested by Amy + Jacky
  • ComBase
  • Evaluating Microbial Safety of Slow Partial-Cooking Processes for Bacon: Use of a Predictive Tool Based on Small-Scale Isothermal Meat Inoculation Studies | Journal of Food Protection
November 11, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Time temperature control for safety

307. Buffet Corndogs Brought From Home

May 27, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from corndogs brought from home placed on a buffet.

Dr. Don - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ
Professor Ben - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ

  • Frank Brown on Twitter: "Buffet corndogs with hard โ€œexoskeletonโ€ brought from home by other customers #riskyornot @benjaminchapman @bugcounter https://t.co/dOCtmXxbxl" / Twitter

  • at a buffet, i personally sneak corndogs into the buffet so others can enjoy them. I hide - Twitter Search / Twitter

  • Food Safety Basics - Environmental Health

  • Homemade Corn Dogs Recipe (VIDEO) - NatashasKitchen.com

  • FSIS C. perfringens Risk Assessment Metrics Report

May 27, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Corndogs, Clostridium perfringens, Hand hygiene, Food from unsafe sources

271. Salt Rising Bread

March 04, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from salt rising bread.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • neil chazin on Twitter: "@atlasobscura @bugcounter thoughts on this bread method?" / Twitter
  • The Forgotten Baking Technique That Turns Bacteria Into Delicious, Cheesy Bread - Gastro Obscura
  • Food Safety Talk 84: All the Great Journals โ€” Food Safety Talk
  • Microbiology of salt rising bread - PubMed
  • Full article on Microbiology of salt rising bread
  • 264. Kapchunka โ€” Risky or Not?
March 04, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Bread, Salt rising bread, Clostridium perfringens

226. Putting Hot Food in the Fridge With a Lid

November 19, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from putting hot food in the fridge with a lid.

Dr. Don - risky โ˜ฃ๏ธ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • Merch โ€” Risky or Not?
  • Snoop Dogg wants you to read your college syllabus I Cameo - YouTube
  • corky on Twitter: "@benjaminchapman @bugcounter This video says itโ€™s risky to put hot food in the fridge if you use a lid, but fine if you donโ€™t use a lid. Is that true? #RiskyOrNot? https://t.co/grPBCLzDB7" / Twitter
  • Cooling Foods in School Foodservice Operations Summary Report
  • Influence of Four Retail Food Service Cooling Methods on the Behavior of Clostridium perfringens ATCC 10388 in Turkey Roasts following Heating to an Internal Temperature of 74ยฐC | Journal of Food Protection
  • Quantitative Data Analysis To Determine Best Food Cooling Practices in U.S. Restaurants
  • O. Pete Snyder, food safety rock star | barfblog
November 19, 2021 /Don Schaffner
Cooling, Cross-contamination, Clostridium perfringens

190. Fried Chicken at Room Temperature for 4 Hours

August 27, 2021 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating fried chicken held at room temperature for 4 hours.

Dr. Don - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ
Professor Ben - not risky ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

  • ComBase
  • FSIS Compliance Guideline for Stabilization (Cooling and Hot-Holding) of Fully and Partially Heat-Treated RTE and NRTE Meat and Poultry Products Produced by Small and Very Small Establishments and Revised Appendix B June 2017 Compliance Guideline | Food Safety and Inspection Service
August 27, 2021 /Don Schaffner
Room temperature, Fried chicken, Clostridium perfringens

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